Just a week ago, we asked you to help us bust the patent being used to threaten podcasters. First, we were looking for help to raise $30,000 in two weeks to cover the costs of fighting this patent. With your help, we hit our goal in just ten hours! You can still contribute here.

We need your help to save podcasting. EFF is partnering with leading lawyers to bust a key patent being used to threaten podcasters. But we need your help to find prior art and cover the filing fees for a brand new patent busting procedure.

Luxembourg-based patent troll ArrivalStar has sued a number of U.S. transit agencies and other defendants for infringing on patents that probably shouldn't ever have been issued. For instance, patent 7,030,781 generally refers to a technology that notifies you if your bus or package is arriving early, late, or on time. Despite the fact that automatic vehicle location and package tracking technologies had already been proposed, prototyped, and patented, ArrivalStar still managed to secure a patent over the technology.

You might remember that late last year, Congress passed the America Invents Act, a largely toothless law that fails to address many of the biggest problems facing the patent system. In implementing that new law, the Patent and Trademark Office issued proposed guidelines for certain supplemental examination procedures. The PTO also recommended a huge increase in fees for filing certain patent reexaminations. As you might guess, this is a terrible idea.